Quick question for those who've installed their own 5100 shocks or removed/replaced the front struts. I'm doing new shocks/brakes/rotors on my 2012. It would appear to me that the easiest way to remove the front strut is by lowering the lower A-arm. On my truck, that would entail breaking the tie rod, lower ball joint, & sway bar. Most of the install instructions on the web show either prying out the shock around the CV axle joint and leaving the ball joints intact (I've got a 4x4) or breaking the upper ball joint and tilting the knuckle out of the way. There is no way prying out the strut would work on my steel lower A-arms....it sits in a pocket.

The lower ball joint should allow the lower A-arm to swing down to clear the lower strut mount....and the upper ball joint will keep the knuckle supported. Just looking at it that, seems to make the most sense to me.

So, for removing the strut what have you guys done? Again, I have a steel lower A-arm and not the aluminum one shown in many youtubes.

 

 

Thanks....I broke the upper ball joint and tie rod tonight. Dropping the sway bar seems like it should work fine like you suggested. I'm doing rotors and pads at the same time so it's a bit slow going. Should finish the brakes both sides tomorrow afterwork and will do the shock swaps Saturday morning. Did the rears over the last couple of nights so I should be good to go this weekend.

 

Same. Sway bar, upper ball joint, tie rod, left the axle alone. It was a piece of cake with pneumatics.

 

Air impacts are a definite must.

 

I have an air impact and a bunch of air tools, but can't remember the last time I used them. Got a set of Milwaukee Fuel battery tools, including the impact and haven't looked back.

 

Wow, if a battery powered impact gun will break a 350 ft-lb nut then I'm really impressed. I'm gonna look at them.

 

Here's a link to the specs. I carry mine in the Jeep when offroading. Haven't run into anything yet that it couldn't remove that I think my air impact would. 700 ft-lbs of maximum fastening torque with 1,100 ft-lbs of removing torque. It takes up a lot less space than the 60gal air compressor and hose reel in the garage.

 

 

I have a milwaukee battery drill that I bought 20 some years ago. It's still great but I have replaced the battery 6 times. It was a 200 or so bucks and with batteries at 50 dollars a piece, maybe I should have bought cheaper crap and just tossed it. Throwing away tools because its cheaper than fixing them has never sat right with me but we live in that kind of world I guess.

The job is finished and the truck drives/rides great. Broke a 1/2 drive torque wrench (not using it but twisting the adjustment handle). Fortunately got the upper ball joint, tie rods torqued before it broke....lug nuts are another story

 

Yes, they are expensive, but it seems like whenever I need that power to break something free it's never near the garage or an air compressor. I trailer my Jeep all over the northeast for rock crawling and having the impact with me for a trailer tire blow out, snapped axleshaft or broken hub or whatever is very convenient.